Annual Change?

[NCGuy68]

Why drain clean oil from a vehicle that runs 700 miles or less per year? Some say because of oxidation. Yet I've never seen internal engine parts rusted from lack of a oil change in a sealed motor.

Why do so many insist on "Change it once a year"?

 

[simple_gifts]

condensation is the concern, not oxidation.

 

[Mr Nice]

Maybe due to the moisture that doesn't burn off.

My 77 year old dad drives about 2800 miles per year and I change his oil every 6 months.

 

[TurboWagon]

One spirited drive or decent highway trip should do away with most condensation though, right?

 

[Robenstein]

But a lot of condensation will need a long drive to burn off and until then you have milky oil with water in it which will cause accelerated wear.

 

[simple_gifts]

Quote:

One spirited drive or decent highway trip should do away with most condensation though, right?


One, how often? Probably every few weeks if it were my car. Once a month minimum.

 

[NCGuy68]

Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
condensation is the concern, not oxidation.


Condensate can occur overnight even in the best conditions.

My original question remains: Why annual oil change?

 

[Robenstein]

But a lot of condensation can occur over a winter and accumulate a lot of water. Lots of people around here store their nice older cars in the winter and unless the garage is heated you would be surprised how much water ends up in the oil.

Plus its cheap insurance

 

[QMartinez]

there is a thread with a bmw going 5 years and a couple hundred miles and he took alot of [censored] for it, but his uoa came back really good.

 

[Robenstein]

Of course a UOA wont tell you everything like all the variables. I am betting in a climate like here in Iowa, that if you went 5 years not changing your oil and driving it a few miles here and there it would be bad.

But if the BMW guy was in a mild climate, drove most of those miles early on and let it sit, it would not have high wear metals in the oil I would think.

I have not changed oil in some of my cars for 2 years at a time. But I do not drive them, and they are in a garage that is climate controlled so it does not see condensation.

 

[NCGuy68]

Originally Posted By: Robenstein
But a lot of condensation can occur over a winter and accumulate a lot of water. Lots of people around here store their nice older cars in the winter and unless the garage is heated you would be surprised how much water ends up in the oil.


With all respect, I've never seen condensate mix with oil from just sitting in a motor.

 

[pbm]

Originally Posted By: NCGuy68
Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
condensation is the concern, not oxidation.



My original question remains: Why annual oil change?



Because a new car or motor cost big $$$$ and an oil change cost $10 or $15.

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: pbm
Originally Posted By: NCGuy68
Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
condensation is the concern, not oxidation.



My original question remains: Why annual oil change?



Because a new car or motor cost big $$$$ and an oil change cost $10 or $15.



True...

 

[NCGuy68]

Why do so many say to just change the oil because its cheap?

No one has given a valid reason why to change the oil in the first place. Seems like a heck of a waste to dump clean oil for no good reason.

 

[J. A. Rizzo]

Oxidation of the oil is different from oxidation of the internal engine components. When iron or steel oxidizes, it rusts, as you stated. But when oil oxidizes, it might lose some of its protective properties, or the additives could degrade. I don't know. Just pointing out that oxidation of the oil is not the same as rusting.

 

[XS650]

Originally Posted By: NCGuy68
Why do so many say to just change the oil because its cheap?

No one has given a valid reason why to change the oil in the first place. Seems like a heck of a waste to dump clean oil for no good reason.


It's because they don't have a valid reason. The same logic could be used to say change it every 6 months, or every month.

 

[NCGuy68]

Originally Posted By: XS650
Originally Posted By: NCGuy68
Why do so many say to just change the oil because its cheap?

No one has given a valid reason why to change the oil in the first place. Seems like a heck of a waste to dump clean oil for no good reason.


It's because they don't have a valid reason. The same logic could be used to say change it every 6 months, or every month.

Thanks, and I'am thinking the same thing so far.

 

[Robenstein]

Originally Posted By: NCGuy68
Originally Posted By: Robenstein
But a lot of condensation can occur over a winter and accumulate a lot of water. Lots of people around here store their nice older cars in the winter and unless the garage is heated you would be surprised how much water ends up in the oil.


With all respect, I've never seen condensate mix with oil from just sitting in a motor.


What....oila and water dont mix? I was referring to people that start up the car to warm the oil to drain it. That is the procedure usually to dump the oil when warm, and by running the engine you make your oil all milky.

 

[NCGuy68]

Originally Posted By: J. A. Rizzo
Oxidation of the oil is different from oxidation of the internal engine components. When iron or steel oxidizes, it rusts, as you stated. But when oil oxidizes, it might lose some of its protective properties, or the additives could degrade. I don't know. Just pointing out that oxidation of the oil is not the same as rusting.


So how does one determine that his oil has oxidation and if so, how has that degraded the oil?

 

[simple_gifts]

Originally Posted By: NCGuy68
Originally Posted By: XS650
Originally Posted By: NCGuy68
Why do so many say to just change the oil because its cheap?

No one has given a valid reason why to change the oil in the first place. Seems like a heck of a waste to dump clean oil for no good reason.


It's because they don't have a valid reason. The same logic could be used to say change it every 6 months, or every month.

Thanks, and I'am thinking the same thing so far.


They have a valid reason, you just choose not to accept it. It is not "logic" it is a balance of risk versus benefit seeing that there isn't a cost effective way of determining whether the oil is sufficiently clean. You have provided no more evidence that they are dumping "clean" oil as others have produced that it is contaminated. Mobil and Amsoil also recommended this interval for extended drain, so it isn't exactly a dart board derived #.